Magnus Fin and the Ocean Quest Read Online Free PDF Page A

he did. Magnus Fin giggled then ran across the playground, pursued by a shark which jumped on him then pretended to eat him but tickled himinstead. The two boys lay on the grass laughing and Magnus had never been happier in his life.
    Tarkin sat beside Magnus Fin in school, and Magnus couldn’t keep the smile off his face. This was the best birthday present ever – and he wasn’t even eleven yet. He noticed Tarkin had a big wristwatch that he said could work underwater, and beside it he wore a beaded leather string wrapped several times around his wrist. While Mrs McLeod was talking, Tarkin drew a picture of a mermaid in his jotter.
    “You bairns are the future generation and it’s up to you to look after our planet – muckle great thing like a planet doesn’t grow on trees.” Tarkin brought out a pair of scissors from his rucksack, hiding them with his elbow from the teacher. He couldn’t understand a word Mrs McLeod was saying.
    “And as the future generation, you should know that all the herring have gone. So what are you going to do about it? Clean the beach, that’s what! And what about the waves? Some morbid ones say the sea is dying!”
    Tarkin cut out his drawing of the mermaid and pushed it across to Magnus Fin. Tarkin had drawn love hearts all around the mermaid. It was a good drawing. She looked pretty with lots of shells around her neck, masses of long dark hair and a blue and green fish tail. Magnus was delighted. He had told Tarkin at playtime about his birthday. Maybe this was an early birthday present.
    Then Tarkin wrote the words Wot she sayin? inhis jotter and pushed it across to Magnus Fin. Mrs McLeod had turned her back to the class and was unrolling a huge map of Scotland. She pointed out where the world surfing championships were usually held, right up at the top in Thurso.
    “Here you get the best waves – great big things. But now? Now girls and boys? Flat as a tattie scone.”
    Magnus Fin wrote sea dying and pushed it back to Tarkin. Then both boys stared up at the map of Scotland with worried faces. Mrs McLeod suddenly stopped talking, her mouth fell open and she stared down at Magnus Fin’s desk. The picture of the mermaid surrounded by many large red love hearts had caught her attention.
    “This is a serious matter, Magnus Fin. Fish are dying. The waves have stopped. And you doodle a mermaid. Mermaid! For heaven’s sake! Pupils in P6 should know the difference between fantasy and reality. Mermaids don’t exist. And if we don’t do something about it, fish won’t either.”
    “Sure mermaids exist. I saw one – in Alaska – and she was awesome,” Tarkin said, not knowing he was supposed to put his hand up if he wanted to say something.
    “Oh, right then, well why don’t you tell the whole class what this mermaid looked like, Tarkin?” said Mrs McLeod, rubbing her hands together as though she was cold, or getting ready for a fight.
    “Sure,” he said, standing up and facing the class. “Well, guys, like I said, she was totally awesome. I’m in Alaska and it’s wintertime, right? Dad has taken me fishing – Mom and Dad were still together back then, and we are just notcatching a thing and it is freezing, like, totally ice. I’ve got on this big fur coat we found in the cellar of this old house we were renting. That was, like, house number ten. So we’re on this lake and Dad gets out his flask and we’re drinking coffee and just letting the boat drift across the water and you can see your breath making smoke signals in the air. I tell you it’s so cold. Oh, man, even with that bear round my shoulders I am freezing . I’m ice.”
    “Tarkin, I think we understand you were cold,” said Mrs McLeod.
    “OK, yeah, well, we are just drifting and the moon comes up and suddenly I hear this sound. I think it’s a fish jumping. I turn and there she is, a mermaid. She has long black hair and shining skin and a necklace with shells and pearls. I stare at her like I’m totally